Greater London and Essex remains a hotspot for keyless theft with 78 per cent of victims in these regions reporting a stolen car without the owner’s key.

Criminals are also using on-board diagnostic ports to programme cloned cars and jamming device when a driver tries to lock their car.

Andy Barrs, head of police liaison at Tracker, said: “We are seeing more thefts recorded as ‘stolen without the keys’ which suggests that electronic manipulation and cyber compromise are on the increase.

“The new relay attack technique has gained significant ground in the US and Germany, but it’s also beginning to take hold in the UK, so vehicle owners need to protect themselves and their assets.

How to protect yourself against relay theft

To avoid your car being stolen from your driveway, it's advised not to keep your keys near the door.

This has long been the advice dating back to the coathanger scams where thieves would fish out your keys through the letterbox.

Keeping them at the back of the house or upstairs may stop the radio signal being as strong for a thief near the door.

But as technology develops, the range of the signal detector is growing, so the only real way to keep cars safe is to store keys in the fridge or microwave.

The metal lining means the radio signal can’t get through.

If you’re in a coffee shop with your keys make sure you can see your car and be aware of anyone lurking near both yourself and your car.

“As relay attacks become even more prevalent, owners need to protect themselves, particularly since criminal gangs are routinely using relay devices to exploit weaknesses in keyless security systems across a broad range of manufacturers.

“These tools are readily available on the internet for as little as £80 and thefts typically occur in residential areas, where cars are parked relatively close to the house, especially at night.”